The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is asking food businesses, enforcement officers and consumers to provide it with feedback on its new ‘Guidance on Food Traceability, Withdrawals and Recalls within the UK Food Industry’.

The guidance sets out the roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders involved in food safety withdrawals and recalls in the UK.

It is designed to provide advice on good practice and help food businesses to comply with food safety requirements.

The guidance includes advice on; traceability systems, making a decision to withdraw or recall food, the roles and responsibilities of those involved and how to plan for and manage a food safety withdrawal or recall.

Advice is also given about the key principles to effectively inform consumers of a food recall, including a template for a point of sale notice for use in retail stores.

Philip Randles, head of incidents and resilience at FSA, said: “This guidance has been created with food businesses in mind, to help them carry out food safety withdrawals and recalls with greater ease and effectiveness.

“It’s been developed in partnership with representatives from the food industry, enforcement authorities and consumer organisations and is a key outcome from our joint review with Food Standards Scotland of the UK’s current system.

“We would welcome feedback. The responses we receive will help us to make sure the guidance is beneficial and helpful to businesses in the event of a food safety incident.”

To view the consultation page, click here, and to provide feedback, email Debbie.Sharpe@food.gov.uk.